Charity Accounts Intelreading the accounts so you don’t have to

THE THURSFORD COLLECTION

Registered charity 272307 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

The Thursford Collection operates as a steam engine and organ museum and conducts a Christmas Spectacular Show in Thursford Norfolk.

Causes: Education/training · Arts/culture/heritage/science · Environment/conservation/heritage · website · Get email alerts

Latest income
£8.6m
Latest spending
£7.3m
Registered
1976
Accounts read
FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the group reported a surplus of £1,217,521 for the year ended 31 March 2025, with total unrestricted funds increasing to £16.5m. Per the trustees' report, expendable reserves stood at £4.2m, which is above the stated long-term target of £2m, providing a buffer against identified risks such as seasonal variations and potential performance cancellations.

Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Highest-paid employee band: £210,001 - £220,000 — above the 90th percentile for charities its size (median £70k)
“In the band £210,001 - £220,000” — page 28
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Reserves policy: £2 million (held: £4.2m)
“Based upon their assessment the Trustees consider the long-term target level of free reserves is £2 million.” — page 7
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Larking Gowen LLP. Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.

In the news

Recent coverage mentioning this charity by name (automated match; headlines belong to their publishers).

Property (HM Land Registry)

7 registered titles in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (7 freehold); recorded price paid £180k. All charity-held property. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.

Public profiles (found on the charity’s own website): facebook · instagram

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/03/2025)

Total income
£8.6m
Total spending
£7.3m
Cost of raising funds
£2.0m
Reserves (reported)
£4.2m
Employees
89

Reported reserves equal ~6.9 months of spending — above the median for charities its size (median 4.8 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (70% of income) — components as reported reconcile to the return’s total income; not from the accounts narrative.

Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 23.8% of total income — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 5.2%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).

Operates in: Norfolk

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/03/2025£8.6m£7.3m
31/03/2024£8.6m£7.2m
31/03/2023£9.0m£6.9m
31/03/2022£6.0m£5.4m
31/03/2021£968k£2.6m

Common questions

Is THE THURSFORD COLLECTION financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the group reported a surplus of £1,217,521 for the year ended 31 March 2025, with total unrestricted funds increasing to £16.5m. Per the trustees' report, expendable reserves stood at £4.2m, which is above the stated long-term target of £2m, providing a buffer against identified risks such as seasonal variations and potential performance cancellations. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Larking Gowen LLP.

What does the highest-paid employee of THE THURSFORD COLLECTION earn?

Per its FY2025 accounts, the highest-paid employee was in the £210,001 - £220,000 band.

Funders of similar charities

Funders whose accounts show grants to charities similar to this one (and no recorded grant to this charity) — a starting list for fundraisers.

FunderSimilar charities fundedAmount to them
THE HEADLEY TRUST2£190k
NATIONAL ART COLLECTIONS FUND2£52k
ASSOCIATION OF INDEPENDENT MUSEUMS2£50k
Q CHARITABLE TRUST1£100k
THE FOYLE FOUNDATION1£100k
ALAN BOSWELL GROUP CHARITABLE TRUST1£25k
LILIAN FRANCES HIND BEQUEST (TRUSTEES OF LADY HIND)1£15k
THE RED SOCKS CHARITABLE TRUST1£11k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with THE MUSEUM OF THE BROADS.

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
THE THURSFORD COLLECTION£8.6m£210,001 - £220,000—unclear—no doubt
THE MUSEUM OF THE BROADS FY2025£111k—0unclear—no doubt
THE HOLLYCOMBE WORKING STEAM MUSEUM LIMITED FY2025£322k—0above—no doubt
MUSEUM OF POWER FY2025£429k—0unclear—no doubt
THE SALISBURY AND SOUTH WILTSHIRE MUSEUM TRUST FY2024£1.8m—0unclear—no doubt
THE SPODE MUSEUM TRUST FY2025£377k—0unclear—no doubt

Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.